Published: Monday, March 3, 2014 at 3:30 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, March 3, 2014 at 3:30 p.m.

Environmentalists and Florida lawmakers who want tougher policies to protect the state’s springs, rivers and groundwater remain hopeful for progress this legislative session, despite some warnings that this may not be their year.

Some Florida state senators are crafting a comprehensive package expected to address water quality problems with many Florida lakes, springs and the aquifer. The legislation will include tougher regulation of wastewater treatment plants and farm fertilizer application, provide for the replacement of thousands of leaking septic tanks, and devote as much as $400 million per year in real estate taxes to clean up water.

Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, whose district includes part of Marion County, is among a handful of lawmakers crafting the springs protection legislation.

The holdup, if there is one, might come from the House. Speaker Will Weatherford recently told The News Service of Florida that while he is “sensitive” to water legislation being formulated, the issue is too widespread for handling during one legislative session; instead, he will focus on issues “we can control.”

“I think we’ll tackle a lot of the funding issues this year,” said Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. “I think there is an opportunity for us to address some of the policy issues, but water is so broad, you have water quality, you have water quantity, water infrastructure and how we move water resources.”

Weatherford has deferred water policy issues to Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who is slated to be speaker in 2015.

Senate President Don Gaetz told the Tampa Tribune that his scheduled successor, Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, as well as Crisafulli, have already “staked out” environmental issues, and he doesn’t want to infringe on that arrangement.

Despite those rumblings, Dean predicts some measure of new water policy legislation will succeed this year.

“It just wouldn’t make sense to keep ignoring what we brought to the forefront and everyone has been asking for,” Dean said.

He added: “I have been in the Legislature a long time, and one thing you have is compromise available to you. I think we can come together (on springs protection). I would be the most disappointed person if we walk away from this with nothing. I just know there’s a way to get this done.”

Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, one of the architects of the Senate’s springs protection proposal, said he wasn’t troubled by Weatherford’s stance, according to the News Service of Florida.

“I think we’ve got an ambitious agenda in the Senate, but I think we are on the right track,” Simpson said. “It will take a few years to fully ramp up and be able to spend a $150, $200, $300 million a year. But at least with the path known, our agencies — DEP, the water basin boards — can start planning for these projects.”

Ryan Smart, with the Florida Conservation Coalition, said there is still time for the House to craft something. To do nothing in the House, he said, would be wrong.

“We’re in a crisis mode right now. I don’t think the springs can wait until next year,” Smart said.

The alternative is for the Legislature to keep funding individual projects, he said, but that would not be as beneficial without a larger policy change.

“You’re just cleaning up the damage that you’ve already done,” he said.

But that approach appears to be what Crisafulli has in mind. He told the Associated Press that “most of what we’re looking at right now is project-related, not policy-related.”

One example: determining ways to reduce the amount of water released from Lake Okeechobee into sensitive ecosystems west and east of the lake.

Another: a cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon, which suffers from high nutrient levels, failing area septic tanks and invasive vegetation.

He also wants to focus on finding ways to store more water north of Lake Okeechobee, which would alleviate pressure on the lake’s aging dike and reduce the amount of water released into sensitive ecosystems.

Last year, water levels in the 730-acre lake rose to dangerous levels during a series of heavy rains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released large amounts of water, and its contaminants, into the Indian River Lagoon, which some environmentalists say detrimentally affected the area’s delicate ecosystems.

Smart said the proposals are good, but a piecemeal approach could end up distracting from the need for broader water policy.

Other than the springs protection legislation and plans for Indian River and Lake Okeechobee, Smart does not see much other significant environmental legislation on the near political horizon.

Eustis Whitfield is a senior environmental adviser with the Dawson & Associates law firm in Washington and was environmental adviser to four Florida governors. Whitfield also thinks the Indian River and Lake Okeechobee proposals are good but need to be part of a larger environmental policy.

“Florida is a very big state. To concentrate only on one part of it is not broad-minded enough,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield said he hopes public pressure will be enough to force the House to move toward more sweeping legislation.

“When the people speak loud enough … and often enough the political system listens. That’s the hope we have,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield said Weatherford’s announcement to push off any springs protection legislation until next year is bad news.

“That was one of the last things we wanted to hear,” Whitfield said. “But we can’t go home and say, ‘Oh well, we’ll see you next year.’ ”

Meanwhile, there are a few subplots that could influence how lawmakers shape water legislation this year. Some examples:

Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to invest some existing taxes paid on real estate transactions into water and springs programs.

Some suggest the money could be used to fund the proposed springs protection legislation. Others think the two issues should be separate.

Lawmakers backing springs protection legislation are trying to broaden their support base by limiting the financial burden on municipalities. The changes would mean local governments would not be required to implement the legislation unless there is state money to pay for it.

Gov. Rick Scott has proposed $55 million for the springs in the coming year, a $45 million increase from last year. It is likely that Silver Springs would benefit from that money.

But, again, Whitfield and others fear that such piece-by-piece funding encourages the selection of individual water projects rather than a comprehensive and broad approach to fixing Florida’s water problems.

Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, whose district includes part of Marion County, is among a handful of lawmakers crafting the springs protection legislation.

The holdup, if there is one, might come from the House. Speaker Will Weatherford recently told The News Service of Florida that while he is “sensitive” to water legislation being formulated, the issue is too widespread for handling during one legislative session; instead, he will focus on issues “we can control.”

“I think we'll tackle a lot of the funding issues this year,” said Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. “I think there is an opportunity for us to address some of the policy issues, but water is so broad, you have water quality, you have water quantity, water infrastructure, and how we move water resources.”

Weatherford has deferred water policy issues to Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who is slated to be speaker in 2015.

Senate President Don Gaetz told the Tampa Tribune that his scheduled successor, Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, as well as Crisafulli, have already “staked out” environmental issues, and he doesn't want to infringe on that arrangement.

Despite those rumblings, Dean predicts some measure of new water policy legislation will succeed this year.

“It just wouldn't make sense to keep ignoring what we brought to the forefront and everyone has been asking for,” Dean said.

He added: “I have been in the Legislature a long time, and one thing you have is compromise available to you. I think we can come together (on springs protection). I would be the most disappointed person if we walk away from this with nothing. I just know there's a way to get this done.”

Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, one of the architects of the Senate's springs protection proposal, said he wasn't troubled by Weatherford's stance, according to the News Service of Florida.

“I think we've got an ambitious agenda in the Senate, but I think we are on the right track,” Simpson said. “It will take a few years to fully ramp up and be able to spend a $150, $200, $300 million a year. But at least with the path known, our agencies — DEP, the water basin boards — can start planning for these projects.”

Ryan Smart, with the Florida Conservation Coalition, said there is still time for the House to craft something. To do nothing in the House, he said, would be wrong.

“We're in a crisis mode right now. I don't think the springs can wait until next year,” Smart said.

The alternative is for the Legislature to keep funding individual projects, he said, but that would not be as beneficial without a larger policy change.

“You're just cleaning up the damage that you've already done,” he said.

But that approach appears to be what Crisafulli has in mind. He told the Associated Press that “most of what we're looking at right now is project-related, not policy-related.”

One example: determining ways to reduce the amount of water released from Lake Okeechobee into sensitive ecosystems west and east of the lake.

Another: a cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon, which suffers from high nutrient levels, failing area septic tanks, and invasive vegetation.

He also wants to focus on finding ways to store more water north of Lake Okeechobee, which would alleviate pressure on the lake's aging dike and reduce the amount of water released into sensitive ecosystems.

Last year, water levels in the 730-acre lake rose to dangerous levels during a series of heavy rains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released large amounts of water, and its contaminants, into the Indian River Lagoon, which some environmentalists say detrimentally affected the area's delicate ecosystems.

Smart said the proposals are good, but a piecemeal approach could end up distracting from the need for broader water policy.

Other than the springs protection legislation and plans for Indian River and Lake Okeechobee, Smart does not see much other significant environmental legislation on the near political horizon.

Eustis Whitfield is a senior environmental adviser with the Dawson & Associates Washington law firm and was environmental adviser to four Florida governors. Whitfield also thinks the Indian River and Lake Okeechobee proposals are good but need to be part of a larger environmental policy.

“Florida is a very big state. To concentrate only on one part of it is not broad-minded enough,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield said he hopes public pressure will be enough to force the House to move toward more sweeping legislation.

“When the people speak loud enough …and often enough the political system listens. That's the hope we have,” Whitfield said.

Whitfield said Weatherford's announcement to push off any springs protection legislation until next year is bad news.

“That was one of the last things we wanted to hear,” Whitfield said. “But we can't go home and say, 'Oh well, we'll see you next year.' ”

Meanwhile, there are a few subplots that could influence how lawmakers shape water legislation this year. Some examples:

• Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to invest some existing taxes paid on real estate transactions into water and springs programs.

Some suggest the money could be used to fund the proposed springs protection legislation. Others think the two issues should be separate.

• Lawmakers backing springs protection legislation are trying to broaden their support base by limiting the financial burden on municipalities. The changes would mean local governments would not be required to implement the legislation unless there is state money to pay for it.

• Gov. Rick Scott has proposed $55 million for the springs in the coming year, a $45 million increase from last year. It is likely that Silver Springs would benefit from that money.

But, again, Whitfield and others fear that such piece-by-piece funding encourages the selection of individual water projects rather than a comprehensive and broad approach to fixing Florida's water problems.

<p>Environmentalists and Florida lawmakers who want tougher policies to protect the state's springs, rivers and groundwater remain hopeful for progress this legislative session, despite some warnings that this may not be their year.</p><p>Some Florida state senators are crafting a comprehensive package expected to address water quality problems with many Florida lakes, springs and the aquifer. The legislation will include tougher regulation of wastewater treatment plants and farm fertilizer application, provide for the replacement of thousands of leaking septic tanks, and devote as much as $400 million per year in real estate taxes to clean up water.</p><p>Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, whose district includes part of Marion County, is among a handful of lawmakers crafting the springs protection legislation.</p><p>The holdup, if there is one, might come from the House. Speaker Will Weatherford recently told The News Service of Florida that while he is “sensitive” to water legislation being formulated, the issue is too widespread for handling during one legislative session; instead, he will focus on issues “we can control.”</p><p>“I think we'll tackle a lot of the funding issues this year,” said Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. “I think there is an opportunity for us to address some of the policy issues, but water is so broad, you have water quality, you have water quantity, water infrastructure and how we move water resources.”</p><p>Weatherford has deferred water policy issues to Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who is slated to be speaker in 2015.</p><p>Senate President Don Gaetz told the Tampa Tribune that his scheduled successor, Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, as well as Crisafulli, have already “staked out” environmental issues, and he doesn't want to infringe on that arrangement.</p><p>Despite those rumblings, Dean predicts some measure of new water policy legislation will succeed this year.</p><p>“It just wouldn't make sense to keep ignoring what we brought to the forefront and everyone has been asking for,” Dean said.</p><p>He added: “I have been in the Legislature a long time, and one thing you have is compromise available to you. I think we can come together (on springs protection). I would be the most disappointed person if we walk away from this with nothing. I just know there's a way to get this done.”</p><p>Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, one of the architects of the Senate's springs protection proposal, said he wasn't troubled by Weatherford's stance, according to the News Service of Florida.</p><p>“I think we've got an ambitious agenda in the Senate, but I think we are on the right track,” Simpson said. “It will take a few years to fully ramp up and be able to spend a $150, $200, $300 million a year. But at least with the path known, our agencies — DEP, the water basin boards — can start planning for these projects.”</p><p>Ryan Smart, with the Florida Conservation Coalition, said there is still time for the House to craft something. To do nothing in the House, he said, would be wrong.</p><p>“We're in a crisis mode right now. I don't think the springs can wait until next year,” Smart said.</p><p>The alternative is for the Legislature to keep funding individual projects, he said, but that would not be as beneficial without a larger policy change.</p><p>“You're just cleaning up the damage that you've already done,” he said.</p><p>But that approach appears to be what Crisafulli has in mind. He told the Associated Press that “most of what we're looking at right now is project-related, not policy-related.”</p><p>One example: determining ways to reduce the amount of water released from Lake Okeechobee into sensitive ecosystems west and east of the lake.</p><p>Another: a cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon, which suffers from high nutrient levels, failing area septic tanks and invasive vegetation.</p><p>He also wants to focus on finding ways to store more water north of Lake Okeechobee, which would alleviate pressure on the lake's aging dike and reduce the amount of water released into sensitive ecosystems.</p><p>Last year, water levels in the 730-acre lake rose to dangerous levels during a series of heavy rains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released large amounts of water, and its contaminants, into the Indian River Lagoon, which some environmentalists say detrimentally affected the area's delicate ecosystems.</p><p>Smart said the proposals are good, but a piecemeal approach could end up distracting from the need for broader water policy.</p><p>Other than the springs protection legislation and plans for Indian River and Lake Okeechobee, Smart does not see much other significant environmental legislation on the near political horizon.</p><p>Eustis Whitfield is a senior environmental adviser with the Dawson & Associates law firm in Washington and was environmental adviser to four Florida governors. Whitfield also thinks the Indian River and Lake Okeechobee proposals are good but need to be part of a larger environmental policy.</p><p>“Florida is a very big state. To concentrate only on one part of it is not broad-minded enough,” Whitfield said.</p><p>Whitfield said he hopes public pressure will be enough to force the House to move toward more sweeping legislation.</p><p>“When the people speak loud enough … and often enough the political system listens. That's the hope we have,” Whitfield said.</p><p>Whitfield said Weatherford's announcement to push off any springs protection legislation until next year is bad news.</p><p>“That was one of the last things we wanted to hear,” Whitfield said. “But we can't go home and say, 'Oh well, we'll see you next year.' ”</p><p>Meanwhile, there are a few subplots that could influence how lawmakers shape water legislation this year. Some examples:</p><p>Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to invest some existing taxes paid on real estate transactions into water and springs programs.</p><p>Some suggest the money could be used to fund the proposed springs protection legislation. Others think the two issues should be separate.</p><p>Lawmakers backing springs protection legislation are trying to broaden their support base by limiting the financial burden on municipalities. The changes would mean local governments would not be required to implement the legislation unless there is state money to pay for it.</p><p>Gov. Rick Scott has proposed $55 million for the springs in the coming year, a $45 million increase from last year. It is likely that Silver Springs would benefit from that money.</p><p>But, again, Whitfield and others fear that such piece-by-piece funding encourages the selection of individual water projects rather than a comprehensive and broad approach to fixing Florida's water problems.</p><hr />
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<hr /><p>Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, whose district includes part of Marion County, is among a handful of lawmakers crafting the springs protection legislation.</p><p>The holdup, if there is one, might come from the House. Speaker Will Weatherford recently told The News Service of Florida that while he is “sensitive” to water legislation being formulated, the issue is too widespread for handling during one legislative session; instead, he will focus on issues “we can control.”</p><p>“I think we'll tackle a lot of the funding issues this year,” said Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel. “I think there is an opportunity for us to address some of the policy issues, but water is so broad, you have water quality, you have water quantity, water infrastructure, and how we move water resources.”</p><p>Weatherford has deferred water policy issues to Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, who is slated to be speaker in 2015.</p><p>Senate President Don Gaetz told the Tampa Tribune that his scheduled successor, Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, as well as Crisafulli, have already “staked out” environmental issues, and he doesn't want to infringe on that arrangement.</p><p>Despite those rumblings, Dean predicts some measure of new water policy legislation will succeed this year.</p><p>“It just wouldn't make sense to keep ignoring what we brought to the forefront and everyone has been asking for,” Dean said.</p><p>He added: “I have been in the Legislature a long time, and one thing you have is compromise available to you. I think we can come together (on springs protection). I would be the most disappointed person if we walk away from this with nothing. I just know there's a way to get this done.”</p><p>Sen. Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, one of the architects of the Senate's springs protection proposal, said he wasn't troubled by Weatherford's stance, according to the News Service of Florida.</p><p>“I think we've got an ambitious agenda in the Senate, but I think we are on the right track,” Simpson said. “It will take a few years to fully ramp up and be able to spend a $150, $200, $300 million a year. But at least with the path known, our agencies — DEP, the water basin boards — can start planning for these projects.”</p><p>Ryan Smart, with the Florida Conservation Coalition, said there is still time for the House to craft something. To do nothing in the House, he said, would be wrong.</p><p>“We're in a crisis mode right now. I don't think the springs can wait until next year,” Smart said.</p><p>The alternative is for the Legislature to keep funding individual projects, he said, but that would not be as beneficial without a larger policy change.</p><p>“You're just cleaning up the damage that you've already done,” he said.</p><p>But that approach appears to be what Crisafulli has in mind. He told the Associated Press that “most of what we're looking at right now is project-related, not policy-related.”</p><p>One example: determining ways to reduce the amount of water released from Lake Okeechobee into sensitive ecosystems west and east of the lake.</p><p>Another: a cleanup of the Indian River Lagoon, which suffers from high nutrient levels, failing area septic tanks, and invasive vegetation.</p><p>He also wants to focus on finding ways to store more water north of Lake Okeechobee, which would alleviate pressure on the lake's aging dike and reduce the amount of water released into sensitive ecosystems.</p><p>Last year, water levels in the 730-acre lake rose to dangerous levels during a series of heavy rains. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released large amounts of water, and its contaminants, into the Indian River Lagoon, which some environmentalists say detrimentally affected the area's delicate ecosystems.</p><p>Smart said the proposals are good, but a piecemeal approach could end up distracting from the need for broader water policy.</p><p>Other than the springs protection legislation and plans for Indian River and Lake Okeechobee, Smart does not see much other significant environmental legislation on the near political horizon.</p><p>Eustis Whitfield is a senior environmental adviser with the Dawson & Associates Washington law firm and was environmental adviser to four Florida governors. Whitfield also thinks the Indian River and Lake Okeechobee proposals are good but need to be part of a larger environmental policy.</p><p>“Florida is a very big state. To concentrate only on one part of it is not broad-minded enough,” Whitfield said.</p><p>Whitfield said he hopes public pressure will be enough to force the House to move toward more sweeping legislation.</p><p>“When the people speak loud enough …and often enough the political system listens. That's the hope we have,” Whitfield said.</p><p>Whitfield said Weatherford's announcement to push off any springs protection legislation until next year is bad news.</p><p>“That was one of the last things we wanted to hear,” Whitfield said. “But we can't go home and say, 'Oh well, we'll see you next year.' ”</p><p>Meanwhile, there are a few subplots that could influence how lawmakers shape water legislation this year. Some examples:</p><p>• Voters will decide in a November referendum whether to invest some existing taxes paid on real estate transactions into water and springs programs.</p><p>Some suggest the money could be used to fund the proposed springs protection legislation. Others think the two issues should be separate.</p><p>• Lawmakers backing springs protection legislation are trying to broaden their support base by limiting the financial burden on municipalities. The changes would mean local governments would not be required to implement the legislation unless there is state money to pay for it.</p><p>• Gov. Rick Scott has proposed $55 million for the springs in the coming year, a $45 million increase from last year. It is likely that Silver Springs would benefit from that money.</p><p>But, again, Whitfield and others fear that such piece-by-piece funding encourages the selection of individual water projects rather than a comprehensive and broad approach to fixing Florida's water problems.</p><p><i>Reach Fred Hiers at fred.hiers@starbanner.com and 352-867-4157.</i></p>